The players' union and owners have agreed to meet this week in the continuing NHL lockout, which has already claimed the 2004-05 season as a casualty.

"It's not a very good situation and it did not have to get to this point, " Sharks CEO and president Greg Jamison said.

NHL Players Association executive director Bob Goodenow and Commissioner Gary Bettman are expected to be present as the two sides basically start over in their attempt to resolve a labor situation that could threaten the start of next season, as well.

"We're looking forward to playing hockey next year," Jamison said. "We're going to play hockey in October and we're going to get a system that works."

The thinly veiled threat to the union is that if a collective-bargaining agreement can't be reached with the NHLPA, the owners seem ready to pursue an impasse strategy, thereby implementing their last offer and unlocking their doors to anyone who wants to play.

It's a risky proposition because labor laws could differ from the United States and Canada in terms of interpretation. There is no guarantee replacement players can work in all 30 NHL cities. Advertisers, television networks and, ultimately, the fans may want nothing to do with spending money on watching replacement players.

Yet this is probably the only leverage owners can dangle in hope of reaching an accord.

"We would like to cut a deal with this group," Jamison said of the 730- member NHLPA. "It would be best for the game, it would be best for the players to get a deal done in a timely manner so we can move forward together."

The players, cavalier in their approach that waiting is a better option, are gambling that scab hockey will not sell, and the owners will have to cave to their demands in an effort to sell the product again.

"I can't quite figure out what Plan B is," Jamison said of the NHLPA. "I don't think it's very healthy. At the end of the day, we have come this far for a reason. I think we have shown there is a need to get a new economic system. The resolve is very, very strong among the owners."

ESPN has an April 15 deadline to commit $60 million to televising the NHL next season. Without a collective bargaining agreement by then, the fear is ESPN will decline. A major sponsor -- Anheuser-Busch -- is reportedly thinking of pulling its lucrative account.

"I don't think anyone is suggesting one thing over another because getting a deal done with this group is what we want," Jamison said. "It would be great to have a timely deal so we could go about the business of rebuilding this great game. But right now, we're not in that position."